U.S. patent application number 12/574121 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-28 for method for manufacturing implant abutments for dental implants, and an implant abutment for a dental implant.
This patent application is currently assigned to Bego Medical GMBH. Invention is credited to Helmut Laschutza, Ingo Uckelmann.
Application Number | 20100021865 12/574121 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32842273 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100021865 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Uckelmann; Ingo ; et
al. |
January 28, 2010 |
METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING IMPLANT ABUTMENTS FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS, AND
AN IMPLANT ABUTMENT FOR A DENTAL IMPLANT
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing implant
abutments 9 for dental implants 1, wherein the implant abutment 9
comprises a prefabricated base member 8 for joining the implant
abutment to the dental implant 1, and a customized main body 15.
The aim of the invention is to simplify this method of
manufacturing. To this end, the main body 15 is formed by sintering
and/or melting powdery material onto the base member 8 using laser
sintering and/or laser melting. The invention relates also to an
implant abutment manufactured by such a method.
Inventors: |
Uckelmann; Ingo; (Bremen,
DE) ; Laschutza; Helmut; (Ritterhude, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Altera Law Group, LLC
220 S 6 St Suite 1700
Minneapolis
MN
55402
US
|
Assignee: |
Bego Medical GMBH
|
Family ID: |
32842273 |
Appl. No.: |
12/574121 |
Filed: |
October 6, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11635301 |
Dec 7, 2006 |
|
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12574121 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
433/173 ;
419/9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C 1/0061 20130101;
A61C 8/0069 20130101; A61C 8/0054 20130101; A61C 13/0003 20130101;
B33Y 80/00 20141201; B33Y 70/00 20141201; A61C 8/005 20130101; A61C
13/0013 20130101; A61C 8/006 20130101; B33Y 10/00 20141201 |
Class at
Publication: |
433/173 ;
419/9 |
International
Class: |
A61C 8/00 20060101
A61C008/00; B22F 7/04 20060101 B22F007/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 5, 2003 |
DE |
103 15 563.5-23 |
Claims
1. A method for manufacturing implant abutments for dental
implants, wherein the implant abutment comprises a prefabricated
base member for joining the implant abutment to the dental implant,
and a customized main body, characterized in that the main body is
formed by sintering and/or melting powdery material onto the base
member using laser sintering and/or laser melting.
2. Method according to claim 1, wherein a laser beam travels point
by point along a layer to be sintered and/or melted.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the laser beam is guided
by a control unit on the basis of previously computed model data of
a virtual implant abutment.
4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the base member is a
connector element that is independent of the specific implant
abutment.
5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the base member is
prefabricated by CNC milling.
6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the base member is
cast.
7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the pulverized material is
titanium powder or a powder containing titanium.
8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the sintered and/or melted
material is given a ceramic coating.
9. Method according to claim 8, wherein ceramic coating is
performed by electrophoresis.
10. Method according to claim 8, wherein ceramic coating is
performed using laser sintering.
11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the ceramic coating is
not applied to the base member.
12. Implant abutment for a dental implant, said abutment comprising
a prefabricated base member for joining the implant abutment to the
dental implant, and a customized main body, wherein the main body
is formed by sintering and/or melting powdery material layer by
layer using laser sintering and/or laser melting.
13. Implant abutment according to claim 12, wherein it has been
manufactured using a method according to claim 1.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing implant
abutments for dental implants, wherein the implant abutment
comprises a prefabricated base member for joining the implant
abutment to the dental implant, and a customized main body.
[0002] The invention also relates to an implant abutment for a
dental implant, said abutment comprising a prefabricated base
member for joining the implant abutment to the dental implant, and
a customized main body.
[0003] In the field of dental technology, dental implants onto
which implant abutments are attached are used to replace natural
teeth. An implant abutment typically comprises a base member for
joining the implant abutment to the dental implant and a main body
that is customized to the tooth being replaced, to the remaining
teeth and/or to the specific details of the jawbone. However, the
main body does not form the visible area of the implanted tooth.
The main body itself is surrounded instead by a crown.
[0004] Implant abutments of this kind are conventionally
manufactured by modeling, on a standard base member, a wax model
that is substantially identical to the subsequent main body. A mold
is produced from said wax model. The wax is then melted in a
furnace to produce a negative mold of the main body. Said negative
mold is then melted out with suitable material, such as gold alloys
or alloys that do not contain precious metals. During this process,
the prefabricated base member is melted onto the main body and thus
fixedly attached thereto. An implant abutment is thereby produced
that generally requires manual finishing.
[0005] This process of making implant abutments is laborious and
requires much manual work, in particular. It is therefore
costly.
[0006] The invention is therefore based on the technical problem of
simplifying the production of implant abutments.
[0007] The invention solves this problem by means of a method of
the kind initially specified, in which the main body is formed by
sintering and/or melting powdery material onto the base member
using laser sintering and/or laser melting.
[0008] The invention further solves the problem, for an implant
abutment of the kind initially specified, in that the main body is
formed by sintering and/or melting powdery material layer by layer
using laser sintering and/or laser melting.
[0009] This method of manufacturing dental implant abutments has
the advantage of being able to use a prefabricated base member that
can be made in large quantities and therefore with a production
process that optimizes quality and cost. Such a prefabricated base
member therefore exhibits a high level of precision and is also
relatively inexpensive. A high level of precision is advantageous
in that the base member is a connector for attaching the dental
implant to the implant abutment and should be capable of being
fitted into the implant in a defined position and substantially
without clearance. Such a high level of precision can be achieved
in an automated manufacturing process, in particular. However,
automation is efficient only if a large quantity of identical
components are being made. For this reason, it is particularly
advantageous to use prefabricated, standardized base members.
[0010] Production of the main body using laser sintering and/or
laser melting permits extensively automated production of the
implant abutment, since a computer-aided laser is able to generate
predefined shapes. The predefined forms are firstly determined with
the help of a computer. Data obtained by scanning the patient's
dentures or a dental cast of the patient's dentures are used as a
basis for determining the optimal form of the implant abutment.
[0011] Another reason why the laser sintering and/or laser melting
method is particularly advantageous is that this method allows
complex structures of virtually any shape and size to be
produced.
[0012] Furthermore, it is usually not necessary to perform
subsequent finishing work on implant abutments formed in this
way.
[0013] Another advantage of laser sintering and laser melting is
that the material comprising the main body can be easily applied,
i.e. sintered or melted, onto the base member without subsequent
melting, bonding or cementing being necessary. Instead, the base
member is covered directly with the respective material. The first
layer is applied directly onto the base member. The second and
subsequent layers are then applied onto the previously applied
layer.
[0014] This method can therefore be automated to a large extent.
There is little or no need for any manual operations. The invention
thus permits the inexpensive production of precision implant
abutments.
[0015] Computer-aided production of implant abutments also makes it
possible to simplify the production of crowns that are subsequently
attached to the abutment, since the preparation cast of the implant
abutment is similarly determined and created by computer-aided
means. The data used to make the implant abutment can also be used
to make the crown, whereupon the production process for the entire
artificial tooth comprising an implant, implant abutment and crown
is further simplified.
[0016] Titanium in pulverized form, or a powder containing
titanium, or a pulverized titanium alloy is preferred as material.
Said material is particularly suitable, since it is chemically
stable and does not interact with the human organism.
[0017] A particularly preferred embodiment is one in which the main
body, i.e. the sintered or melted material, is subsequently given a
ceramic coating. The ceramic coating is advantageously applied by
means of electrophoresis, or again by laser sintering. The implant
abutment is coated also, so it is possible to optimize the esthetic
appearance of the implant abutment. Coating prevents dark materials
such as titanium, for example, showing through the crown attached
onto the main body, since the main body itself is no longer
dark-colored, but ceramic-colored instead. Ceramic material can
similarly be applied at the transition between implant and crown,
so that no dark edges occur at the gingival margin as a result of
titanium material showing through the gum.
[0018] The esthetic appearance of the implant abutment is therefore
considerably improved by means of this ceramic coating.
[0019] The ceramic coating has the further advantage that the
surface characteristics of the implant abutment are also improved
where there is surrounding tissue. This improves contact with the
gum and reduces the risk of a gap forming between the two, since
the gum has better contact with a ceramic surface than with a
titanium surface.
[0020] However, it is particularly preferred to mask the base
member from any ceramic coating. This is advantageous because the
base member is generally inserted completely into the implant. This
keeps the contact surfaces between the implant and the base member
of the implant abutment free of any ceramic coating. This avoids
the precision fit of the base member and the implant from being
impaired by any ceramic coating in this area.
[0021] Other advantageous embodiments are characterized in the
subclaims, and in the embodiments explained with reference to the
enclosed drawings. The drawings show:
[0022] FIG. 1 a dental implant;
[0023] FIG. 2 a base member for an implant abutment according to
the invention;
[0024] FIG. 3 a possible embodiment of an implant abutment
according to the invention, comprising a base member pursuant to
FIG. 2 and a main body attached onto it;
[0025] FIG. 4 a device for performing the method according to the
invention; and
[0026] FIG. 5 a schematic flow diagram of an embodiment of the
method according to the invention.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a dental implant 1 with an outer thread 2 that
may be configured as a self-cutting outer thread, for example. In
an upper unthreaded portion 3, dental implant 1 has a generally
cylindrical outer contour. Said upper portion 3 changes at upper
edge 4 into a circular plane surface 5. Said circular plane surface
5 changes toward the inside of implant 1 into a conical plane
surface 6. Said conical plane surface 6 is configured like a funnel
and ends in a recess 7 like a hexagon socket.
[0028] At the lower end of recess 7 there is a through bore (not
shown) disposed concentrically to implant 1 and having an internal
thread for receiving an screw fastener for fastening an implant
abutment, described below, to implant 1.
[0029] FIG. 2 shows a base member 8 of an implant abutment 9 as
shown in FIG. 3. The base member 8 has an outer hexagon 10 that can
be inserted substantially without clearance into the hexagon
socket-like recess 7. In this way, the base member 8 can be
attached with positive engagement to implant 1 such that it cannot
be rotated. The base member 8 thus serves as a connector element
for joining the implant abutment 9 to the implant 1.
[0030] In an alternative embodiment, a different type of fit is
provided instead of the outer hexagon 10 and recess 7 like a
hexagon socket, for example a triangular, square or other
polyhedral structure that ensures the implant abutment 9 is
attached to implant 1 in such a way that it cannot twist or
rotate.
[0031] The base member 8 has an adjacent conical portion 11, the
diameter of said conical portion 11 increasing with greater
distance from the outer hexagon. The maximum diameter of conical
portion 11 is reached at the upper portion of base member 8,
whereby conical portion 11 changes in said upper portion into a
cylindrical portion 12. This maximum diameter of base member 8 is
substantially identical to the outer diameter of upper portion 3 of
implant 1. Owing to the circular surface 5 at the upper end of
implant 1, the conical portion 6 of implant 1 is essentially
completely closed and sealed when the implant abutment is
mounted.
[0032] The base member 8 also has an axial through bore 13 that is
aligned coaxially with the through bore inside implant 1.
[0033] In its upper portion facing away from implant 1, through
bore 13 has a larger diameter than in its lower portion facing
implant 1. The larger diameter serves to receive a screw head of
the fastening screw for fastening the base member 8 to implant 1.
The transition between the portion where through bore 13 has a
larger diameter to the portion where through bore 13 has a smaller
diameter serves as a support for the screw.
[0034] Implant 1 and base member 8 are preferably made of titanium
or a titanium alloy. Base member 8 and/or implant 1 are preferably
CNC-milled, which ensures that these parts are of high precision.
However, they may also be cast and then finished if necessary.
[0035] The upper end of base member 8 is demarcated by a plane
surface 14 onto which the additional material, such as pulverized
titanium or a pulverized titanium alloy, is sintered and/or
melted.
[0036] FIG. 3 shows the implant abutment with such material applied
to the base member 8 to form a main body 15 of the implant abutment
9. Said main body 15 is customized to the particular specifications
of the artificially produced tooth. A lower portion 16 of the main
body 15 forms a transitional portion between implant 1 and a crown
17 (shown with a chain-dotted line) for mounting onto implant
abutment 9. At the upper end of the transitional portion 16, a
preparation edge 18 is provided onto which the crown 17 is mounted.
Above the preparation edge 18, the main body 15 changes to a
preparation portion 19, i.e. a portion onto which the crown 17 is
fastened.
[0037] The through bore 13 of base member 8 continues as a
cylindrical recess in main body 15 and ends in an upper opening 20
for receiving the aforementioned fastening screw.
[0038] An artificial tooth is fastened in the jaw as follows:
first, a hole is drilled in the jaw. Implant 1 is then screwed into
said hole. Finally (after prior healing), the implant abutment 9 is
attached to the implant 1 by means of the base member 8, which
serves as a connector. A fastening screw is inserted into the
implant abutment 9 through opening 20 and fastened to the implant
1. The crown 17 is then mounted on the implant abutment 9 and
cemented or bonded thereto.
[0039] FIG. 4 shows a device 21 for laser sintering or laser
melting. Device 21 has a table 22 with a vertically adjustable
platform 23 that can be vertically adjusted stepwise, for example
in steps of 0.05-0.2 mm, by a drive means that is not shown.
[0040] Device 21 also has a laser 24 disposed above table 22, for
example a CO.sub.2 laser, beam 25 of which is guided through a
suitable device, for example a computer-controlled reflecting
galvanometer 26.
[0041] Device 21 also has a coating mechanism 27 by means of which
powdery material 28 is uniformly distributed over the surface of
table 22, such that the space between the surface of platform 23
and the surface of table 22 is filled with powdery material 28.
[0042] An implant abutment is now made in the following way: at
first, platform 23 is in an upper initial setting. The base member
8 is positioned on platform 23 in such a way that the substantially
plane surface 14 of the upper portion is aligned in the same plane
as the surface of table 22. The area around the base member 8,
between platform 23 and the surface of table 22, is then filled
with powdery material.
[0043] A lay of powdery material us then applied over the surface
of base member 8 using the coating mechanism 27. There is now a
thin layer of the powdery material, for example with a thickness of
0.05-0.2 mm, above base member 8.
[0044] Laser 24 is then activated and its laser beam 25 directed
onto said layer of powdery material covering the surface 14 of base
member 8. Owing to the heat it generates, the laser beam 25
solidifies or melts the powdery material, which is then either
sintered onto the base member 8 or completely fused with the base
member 8, depending on the amount of energy applied to the powdery
material. In accordance with the pre-programmed shape of the
implant abutment 9, laser beam 25 travels up and down the surface
14 of base member 8, onto which a layer is to be applied, as well
as any adjacent or non-adjacent areas. The layer thus applied is
not necessarily perfectly congruent with the shape of the surface
of base member 8. In particular, it may be larger or smaller, and
leave out certain portions such as the portion around the through
bore 13, or create new portions. In this way, a first layer of the
initially powdery material is sintered or melted onto base member
8.
[0045] The laser is then deactivated and platform 23 is lowered by
one layer, e.g. by 0.05-0.2 mm. Using the coating mechanism 27, a
new layer of powdery materials 28 is applied and smoothed. Laser 24
is then reactivated, and the computer-controlled laser beam 25
again scans the area within which the powdery material 28 is to be
fused or sintered with the previously applied layer, as well as
adjacent or non-adjacent areas if necessary. This process of
applying layers of powdery material and then sintering or fusing
said layers with the base member 8 and/or previously applied layers
using a laser 24 is performed repeatedly until the desired shape of
implant abutment 9 has been formed on the base member 8 of main
body 15.
[0046] By means of this method, any desired shape of implant
abutment can be formed, with recesses anywhere that may be desired.
In particular, the through bore 13 in the base member can be
continued as a recess in the main body 15, also with different
cross-sectional shapes if so desired.
[0047] This method is particularly suitable in that complex
geometries of implant abutments can be easily produced. In
principle, any material can be sintered using laser beam 25.
However, titanium powder, powder containing titanium, or a
pulverized titanium alloy are particularly suitable.
[0048] The implant abutment 9 manufactured in this way is
subsequently coated with a ceramic, preferably only in the main
body portion 15, i.e. base member 8 is left out of such ceramic
coating. Ceramic coating is preferably performed using
electrophoresis. Alternatively or additionally, however, the
ceramic coating can be applied using laser sintering. A device such
as that shown in FIG. 4 can be used for this purpose. A ceramic
material would then be used for the powdery material. However, the
laser beam 25 is then guided in such a way that the laser beam 25
can scan the outer surface of the implant abutment 9, and in any
case the surface of the main body 15. It may be necessary to this
end to move the reflecting galvanometer 26, in particular in a
plane parallel to the surface of table 22. Additionally or
alternatively, the laser sintering device may also be configured in
such a way that table 22 is rotatable.
[0049] FIG. 5 illustrates basic steps of the method for
manufacturing implant abutments according to a preferred embodiment
of the invention. In a first step 29, a model of a virtual implant
abutment is generated. The model data obtained by this means are
subsequently used to guide the laser beam 25, in particular to
control the reflecting galvanometer 26.
[0050] In a second step 39 following the first step 29, and using
the aforesaid model data, titanium is applied to a
CNC-prefabricated connector element (base member 8) by laser
sintering and/or laser melting.
[0051] In a further step 31, the implant abutment made in this way
is coated with ceramic material.
[0052] Thanks to the invention, customized, tooth-colored implant
abutments with optimized preparation and transition forms can be
manufactured. They permit simpler prosthetics, excellent esthetics
and an optimized surface layer of the implant abutment for contact
with surrounding tissue.
* * * * *